Senet
Ancient Egyptian board game with religious and funerary significance.
Senet (or senat) is an ancient Egyptian board game consisting of ten or more pawns on a 30-square playing board. The earliest representation dates to c. Its original rules are the subject of conjecture.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Board game
- Players
- 2
Facts from the source article.
Background
Senet is depicted in ancient texts, including Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead, where the deceased plays against an invisible opponent. The game also appears in the Roman-era Egyptian story Setne Khamwas and Si-Osire, where a board game with religious implications may be senet. The oldest intact senet boards date to the Middle Kingdom, but graffiti on Fifth and Sixth Dynasty monuments could date as early as the Old Kingdom. A study on a senet board from the early New Kingdom showed the evolution of the game from secular origins into a more religious artifact, though its archaeological context is unknown. Senet was adopted in Cyprus during the Middle Bronze Age (c. The overwhelming consensus is that senet originated in Egypt, not the Levant. Senet graffiti on the roof of the Roman Temple of Dendera provides concrete evidence that the game existed during the Roman period.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Senet?
Senet is an ancient Egyptian board game played on a 30-square grid using ten or more pawns. It is one of the earliest known board games in the world and carried deep religious and funerary meaning for its players.
What happened to Senet, and when did it disappear?
The game gradually fell out of use during the Roman period, ending roughly a 2,000-year run in Egyptian culture. After that, no new representations or references to active Senet play appear in the historical record.
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